Safety First ...

Hello Everyone.


For my 3-year-old daughter Neva, her "maturity" has her no less attracted to the bright lights on the Christmas tree than her 6-month-old brother Milo.

Neva came into the kitchen the other day and took an oven mitt from the drawer. "What do you need that for, Neva?" I queried, as she tried to hide it behind her back.

"I need it to touch the lights," she said as she left the kitchen in the direction of the living room. "Now, remember, you can't be mad at me. 'Cuz I'm being safe -- I'm using the oven mitt."

Our Gift Giving Made Easy section lists 16 great place for you to save time and money. Shop Online ... everybody's doing it.

Happy sweeping,

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

To Sleep, To Sleep ...

Hello Everyone.

You know, it's a crime that parents can tell time and young children can't. More specifically the offense is not that they can't tell the time it's more that they don't know when we parents are misleading them about it.

Like tonight for instance. It's already dark outside even though we just finished dinner. And my 4-year-old daughter is rather cranky and as a result, bedtime will be over an hour earlier than normal. I know this because I can tell time. She doesn't because she can't.

I know I am being a little dishonest but what am I to do? If I tell Neva that she's going to bed early, she'll put up a fuss telling me she's not tired, even though the slightest things are upsetting her. It's for her own good I keep telling myself, but I can't escape the feeling that I am deceiving her.

But of course, if her behavior worsens because she's so tired, I'll wind up getting cranky too and scolding her inappropriately. Then I'll feel even guiltier for something that can be avoided. So, off to bed it is.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Snooze Math ...

There is a certain type of math that completely escapes me. It really only involves simple addition and being able to tell time. But nonetheless, I never manage to get the addition to work out.

Take for instance my 18-month-old son Milo sleeping habits. He usually wakes up at around 7:00 a.m., has his only nap just after lunch for an hour or so, and goes to bed around 9:00 p.m. So on a normal day, he will sleep 12 hours give or take.

But occasionally, a day comes when Milo refuses to go to sleep for his nap. Then around dinnertime, he falls asleep for about 15 minutes, a catnap of sorts. Using simple math, if he sleeps 12 hours normally but on this day he has missed one hour, he should then sleep 11 more hours tonight. Makes sense doesn't it?

Not really, at least not for Milo. Not only is he an hour behind without his nap but he will somehow stay up an extra hour that night. A grand total of 2 hours of missed sleep by my calculations. Now you would think he'd wake up 2 hours later the next morning, but not even that works out. Bright and early at 7:00 a.m. the next morning, there's Milo, happy as a lark.

It just doesn't add up.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Planning Ahead ...

Hello Everyone.

I was just putting my 4-year-old daughter Neva to bed but she was very talkative and was having trouble settling down.

"Do you know who I want to invite to my birthday party?" she asked. "I want to invite..." and went on to list 5 of her friends from her Kindergarten class.

"Well, you know," I responded, "your birthday is a long way off and you might think differently by then." After all, her birthday isn't until September.

There was a long pause before she said, "Wait, I changed my mind, I want to invite..."

It's gonna be a long 9 months!

Happy sweeping,

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

House Cleaning ...

Hello Everyone.

Just a little bit of house cleaning today:

First and foremost, the winners have been chosen for the "Win an Autographed Copy of S.D. Tower's The Assasins of Tamurin Contest" so be sure to check your email to see if you won one of 11 copies of this exclusive ContestHound.com prize.

Secondly, if you haven't already done so, sign up for a free ContestHound.com myContest account so that you can keep track of only those contests your are interested in. Fast and simple sign up and easy to use to boot. [Click here to sign up]

Finally, if you missed Friday's edition, be sure to check it out. There is some very special news that you won't want to miss. [Click here]

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Taking Your Lumps ...

Hello Everyone.

It was a busy day around the ContestHound.com household. More work than time it seems. Taking a few short cuts to wring a few more minutes out of the day, I left my 18-month-old son Milo eating Macaroni and Cheese for dinner while I was working in my office.

Every few minutes I peaked around the corner to make sure he was still eating and that his 4-year-old sister wasn't distracting him. And each time I looked, he was still happily mushing around his ever-diminishing pile of noodles.

When Milo finally was finished, I was surprised by how much he had eaten. I went over to clean him up and as I lifted him out of his high chair I noticed a rather suspicious lump protruding from his belly. You have no idea how surprised I was to find all his noodles stuffed down his shirt and into his diaper.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Clever is as Clever Does ...

Hello Everyone.

Sometimes it is really interesting the clever ways children try to avoid going to bed. My 4-year-old daughter Neva decided tonight that she needed to know whose birthday was when.

"When's Mommy's birthday?" she began, after I turned off the light. I answered. "And Daddy, when is yours?" she continued. I answered again. Soon we had made it through the rest of our family and had begun with some of our neighbors.

"Neva," I said, "it's time to go to sleep."

"But just one more daddy!" she pleaded.

"One more then," I allowed.

"When is everybody's?"

"On their birthday Neva, on their birthday."

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Latest Web Site Update ...

Hello Everyone.

As many of you have already noticed, there are lots of changes going on at ContestHound.com. Be sure to visit the site and create you own personal myContests account so that you can keep track of only those contests you are interested in (check the link at the top of this newsletter).

Hopefully by the time the tomorrow's issue comes out, I'll be able to get back to writing the stories that you usually find here.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Alphab-b-b-bet ...

Hello Everyone.

Since starting school, my 4-year-old daughter Neva seems to have developed a strange speech defect. They're learning to read and, with that, the sounds of the letters of the alphabet. Now Neva walks around quite frequently, saying things like:

"Muh ... muh ... muh ... Mommy? Can wuh ... wuh ... wuh ... we huh .. huh ... huh ...have macarrr ... errr ... errr ... rrroni and ch ... ch ... ch ... cheese for duh .. duh ... duh ... duh ... dinner?"

Happy sweeping,

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Wanted: One Bulldozer ...

Hello Everyone.

The other day I was tidying up a few things when I came across a pair of used roller blades that my neighbour had given me. Space comes at a premium in our humble abode and I was stumped about where to put them. My 4-year-old daughter Neva picked one up and instructed me to pick up the other and follow her.

"Where are you going to put them?" I asked.

"In the closet," she replied, as she stuffed the first one in. "That's where we keep all the junk that doesn't fit anybody anymore."

I guess it's time to do a little more re-organizing!

Happy sweeping,

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Snips and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails ...

Hello Everyone.

While my 17-month-old son Milo climbs my desk to talk on the phone quite regularly, this time he slipped and hit his head on the way down. None of us were in the room when it happened and when I found him, although quite bloodied and clearly distraught, Milo had already moved to the living room and was watching television.

Once the bleeding stopped he was his normal self again, running and playing in the emergency room, making us wonder if we were wasting time sitting around waiting among all those other sick kids. Three and a half hours later, they glued his head back together and we were sent home with instructions to keep an eye out for signs of a concussion: excessive sleepiness, trouble walking, vomiting, etc.

Within a few short hours, Milo and his 4-year-old sister Neva were chasing each other around the apartment, laughing and giggling and squealing with excitement. Milo ended the day with two fresh bruises from bumping into doors, floors and Neva.

Looks like we've got ourselves a bumpy 15 years ahead of us!

Happy sweeping,

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Learning By Example ...

Hello Everyone.

We have an occasional problem with our outgoing and social 4-year-old daughter Neva visiting the neighbors without our knowledge. Since we know all our neighbors well, this is not a safety concern, however not knowing where she is obviously worrisome. She doesn't do this too frequently, but it's a rule in our house -- "no visiting without telling" -- that is being broken. Once we retrieve her, we read the riot act once again and she gets a "logical consequence" type punishment, like no visiting at all for the rest of the day. Still, we're not sure she's getting the point.

Well, the other day I asked Neva to call Daddy in for dinner. I thought he was out on the balcony. Neva came back in and started putting on her coat. "I can't find him," she informed me. She was obviously going to look for him. I reminded her not to leave the building without me and said I'd help her look in a minute.

As I was about to leave, Neva had returned and was leading her Daddy by the hand through the apartment. He looked guilty and abashed. Seems she had found him coming back from the corner store. "Daddy needs a time out for leaving without telling us," she reprimanded.

Perhaps our message is getting through after all!

Happy sweeping,

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Housekeeping ...

Hello Everyone.

Just a bit of housekeeping for a Monday...

I am diligently working on the new design for ContestHound.com and it should be live in the next week or so. Look for some great new features including what I call "myContests" where you can save any contest on the site to your own little place. Should make keeping track of your contests much faster and easier. I'll keep you posted on the progress.

Also, if you email provider/system has a whitelist, friend's list, approved address list or any type of email filtering make sure that you add webmaster@contesthound.com, that way, you'll be sure to receive the Daily Contest Update. You'd be surprised to learn that many of your emails may be filtered out without your knowledge, including this one.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

A Day at the Dentist ...

Hello Everyone.

My 4-year-old daughter Neva and I went to the dentisttoday. We both needed our regular check-ups, cleaning andwhat-not. You would think that this type of adventure wouldbe upsetting for a little kid but quite the contrary.

I went first so that Neva would get an idea of what was goingon and a good thing since I had no idea myself. Seems thatNeva managed to squeeze herself about as close as one couldwithout actually climbing into my mouth. She then puther arm over my eyes so that I wouldn't be scared. Annoyingbut kinda cute.

When it was her turn, she crawled around the dentist'soffice barking like a dog for a few minutes before finallyclimbing into the chair. And that was it. No complaints, nofear, no nothin'. What a kid!

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

In the Eye of the Beholder ...

Hello Everyone.

There is road construction that started early this morning on our street corner and my 2-year-old daughter was immediately fascinated with the big machinery. The sounds of the engines would bring Neva time and again to my second story office window. Each and every time she would tell me about the goings on and not once did she forget to mention the Ladybugs.

Ladybugs. I was perplexed. I looked over every inch of the window, along the frame, inside and out to no avail. It wasn't until this evening that I realized that the construction workers where all wearing bright orange vests. Ladybugs!

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Go East ...

Hello Everyone.

My 4-year-old daughter Neva always enjoys her daily trip to the school library. All the kids are given the opportunity to select whatever books they are interested in and Neva has brought home some very interesting titles:

New Brunswick, a 20-year-old geography book.
101 Monster Jokes, suitable only for 10-year-old boys.
The Caribbean Islands, a history of the people book.

What is really amazing is that as soon as she gets home with her treasures, she manages to incorprate them into her play. Today, she piled all of her toys onto the table, put a chair in front of it and drove east to Moncton, New Brunswick and then on to the Bay of Fundy.

Now how did she know it was east?

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Rain, Rain, Go Away ...

Hello Everyone.

We had a rainy weekend and so both my 4-year-old daughter Neva and her 16-month-old brother Milo spent their whole time indoors. They watched too much television, nibbled on snacks, played together and played apart. They ran through the house, talked way too loud and didn't put most of their toys away.

Today, Neva is in school and Milo is quietly playing by himself. And me, I am about to go sit down and do absolutely nothing, at least for a little while.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

A Whale of a Story ... Part 2

Hello Everyone.

Judging by the response from a number of readers, yesterday's cliff hanger still needs to be resolved. So, here is a repeat of yesterday's story with a new ending -- just like those DVD's you can buy ...

Sometimes you do something that at the time seems completely benign. Take for instance today, when I cleaned the goldfish bowl. I put the fish into a cup in the kitchen and left the bowl sitting in the bathtub so that the water would acclimatize.

Now, imagine the catastrophe when my 4-year-old daughter Neva, having just returned from playing outside, rushed into the bathroom to pee. I think it was the bone rattling scream that caught my attention, and I ran to see what was the matter.

Crying hysterically and yelling mostly unitelligble words, she stood there at the bathroom door, bouncing up and down with her legs crossed pointing to the empty fishbowl. I quickly tried to reassure her that her fish was fine swimming in a cup in the kitchen. But I couldn't help laughing quietly at the site of this utterly frantic little girl, distraught over her fish, all the while still having to really, really, really go pee.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

A Whale of a Story ...

Hello Everyone.

Sometimes you do something that at the time seems completely benign. Take for instance today, when I cleaned the goldfish bowl. I put the fish into a cup in the kitchen and left the bowl sitting in the bathtub so that the water would acclimatize.

Now, imagine the catastrophe when my 4-year-old daughter Neva, having just returned from playing outside, rushed into the bathroom to pee.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

One Ringy-Dingy ...

Hello Everyone.

My 16-month-old son Milo really enjoys talking on the telephone, except of course if there is anyone there. He'll babble endlessly to the dial-tone but hardly utters a word otherwise.

The other night I got this brilliant idea. Rather than having Milo climb onto my desk to get to the telephone, I just unplugged it and put it on the floor for him. Since then, I haven't had a phone; I haven't had to clean up my desk either ... but ... what if Reader's Digest was trying to call to tell me I'm their next millionaire?

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Braque, Picasso, Kennedy ...

Hello Everyone.

The French painter, Georges Braque, who, with Pablo Picasso, originated the cubist art movement said "There is only one valuable thing in art: the thing you cannot explain." Over the past few years, I have been chronicling my soon-to-be three-year-old daughter Neva's artistic progression with some regularity. And today, it is my honor to present her latest masterpiece.

When I was first offered to view her grand work, I was slow in recognizing the showpiece for what it was -- an extraordinary interpretation of a post-modernist sensibility that succinctly reflects Braque's eloquent views. The pervasiveness of the piece lies in its kinetic quality; left undisturbed, the piece migrates and textures metamorphose.

Resonating with aspects of Marcel Duchamp's ready-mades, a natural, earthy structure offers itself up as the canvass while the contrasting airiness of the medium imbues a jarring contrast of lightness delicately anchored to a solid foundation.

There is no clear explanation of the genius of her latest work but as John F. Kennedy reminds us, "society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him". Neva has proudly and, in my opinion, successfully done so. Now in my wife Kathleen's opinion, Neva simply finger-painted the entire breakfast table using yogurt.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

A Little Unbearable ...

Hello Everyone.

I was working in my office the other day, concentrating on the task at hand, when out of the corner of my eye I thought I say Winnie the Pooh. This can happen when one works in front of a computer all day long and so I thought nothing of it. But then it moved.

I turned toward the wobbly little fella and it turned out not to be an aberration but rather my 11-month-old son Milo. He was wearing a red and tan outfit with a hood that had two small ears on top.

"Is this a Halloween costume?" I called out to my wife Kathleen. "No," she replied sounding annoyed. It was late afternoon and I knew it wasn't bedtime. "They're not pajamas are they?" I asked innocently. "No!" she said.

It seemed a small on him, a bit short in the legs. The hood came down over his forehead stopping above his eyes but it pulled his chin toward his chest. I thought it best not to share that the get-up looked ridiculous.

But as he waddled out the other door, I thought about how costly his therapy is going to be.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

In My Opinion ...

Hello Everyone.

If there is one thing I have learned about being a parent it's that you cannot control your kids. You can offers suggestions and influence them through your words and actions. You can present diversions or explain the likely consequences of what they are doing but when all is said and done, they still have minds of their own and will do what they want.

In our house, we do our best to protect Neva and Milo from danger, not experience. The many and varied outcomes of doing so have been the source of many of these stories and often have humorous results.

I think the key to parenting is to pay attention, to help when help is needed and to resist the urge to parent at every opportunity. Nobody I know enjoys being constantly told how and what to do and children are the same. We are entrusted with the welfare of our children, to provide guidance and teach life skills. Trying to do our best is mandatory yet, though our intentions are good, we can do too much.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Royal Flush ...

Hello Everyone.

We have a baby gate at the door of the bathroom to keep my 16-month-old son Milo out. Why we don't just close the door is a valid point but not today. No, today I want to tell you about Milo.

As I sat working at my computer, I heard Milo dragging a kid-sized chair through my office. He often pushes one around so I thought nothing of it. Then the toilet flushed.

I quickly got up and climbed over the gate, grabbed Milo and climbed back over the gate grabbing the chair and brought them both into the living room.

Back to work I went and moments later I heard the toilet flush again. Seems that for a second time he had dragged the chair to the bathroom, climbed over the gate and flushed the toilet without me noticing. I quickly got up, climbed over the gate, grabbed Milo, back over the gate, grabbed the chair bringing both of them into the living room. "All done," I told him.

This time I closed the door behind me ... I thought ...

Back to work I went and moments later I heard the toilet flush again. For a third time he had dragged the chair to the bathroom, climbed over the gate, turned the knob to open the door and flushed the toilet ... without me noticing. I quickly got up, climbed over the gate, grabbed Milo, back over the gate, grabbed the chair and again brought both of them into the living room. "All done," I told him.

This time I closed the door behind me ... tightly ... I'm positive.

Back to work I went and moments later I heard the toilet flush yet again. Now on his fourth trip, Milo had dragged the chair to the bathroom, climbed over the gate, turned the knob to open the door and flushed the toilet ... without me noticing. I quickly got up, climbed over the gate, grabbed Milo, back over the gate, grabbed the chair and once more brought them both into the living room. Then I strapped Milo into his high chair.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Feeding Frenzy ...

Hello Everyone.

It's not that I don't know the way around our kitchen but given the opportunity, at the drop of a hat I would go out for dinner. Yesterday was one of those days since my wife Kathleen was teaching evening piano classes and off we went for a nice leisurely meal.

Even before we sat down at the restaurant, a young woman brought us paper place mats and crayons, and glasses of water filled to the brim with ice. And that signaled the end of anything remotely akin to leisurely.

My 16-month-old son Milo took an immediate interest in tossing the crayons as far as he could. Once confiscated, the ice cubes, the place mats, the cutlery, his french-fries also made excellent projectiles. Meanwhile, my 4-year-old daughter Neva only wanted me to write down every word in the English language on the back of her place mat and then spell it out for -
c - a - t ... cat. And if my attention was even momentarily distracted, she'd call with such a tremendously loud voice that I'm positive that dogs several miles away could hear her.

It was harrowing to say the least. Neither of them managed to get much food in their bellies, everywhere else most certainly and for me, well, I think the Beef Dip I had was good.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Remember When ...

Hello Everyone.

Neva seems quite proud of having turned four years old. She was recently recalling something she had done only a few days earlier:

"Remember when I did that when I was only three?!"

Happy sweeping,

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Climbing to New Heights ...

Hello Everyone.

I am sure that many of you know that life with a toddler can be quite challenging. Always ready to learn something, I have read quite a few articles about the subject and what I found quite interesting is the advice given on protecting your breakables. Move them to a higher shelf they suggest or put them away.

This sounds good in practice but when it comes to my 17-month-old son Milo those writers never could have anticipated his ingenuity. At any given moment, you will find Milo climbing something, be it a bookshelf, toy box, any number of tables, the piano and the list goes on. You see, he has taken to dragging a small chair around with him wherever he goes in our house. And nothing, it seems, is high enough to be out of his reach.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Mission Completed ...

Hello Everyone.

If you take the time to look closely you occasionally find something rather extraordinary. A few days ago, my 4-year-old daughter Neva asked me for a glass of water. She was so engrossed in the television that she couldn't tear herself away to get it herself.

Since I was going in the general direction of the kitchen I did as she asked. I brought the drink and set in on the table in front of her and without even a glance, almost absentmindedly, she said "Thank you Daddy".

What struck me sometime afterwards had nothing to do with her seeming lack of connection to world around her save the television. Rather, it was that in this oblivious state, Neva still remembered to say "Thank you". She obviously wasn't thinking about it, it was just a natural response, not an afterthought nor the result of any prompting.

Which left me feeling rather proud of the fact that we had successfully completed our mission in training at least one of our children to be polite.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Running Noses ...

Hello Everyone.

You may be wondering just how many tissues a family of 4 goes through in an entire week of runny noses. Not that the results are scientific but in our household it is much less than you might think.

You see, my 4-year-old daughter Neva runs away to hide and then wipes her nose in her shirt while my 17-month-old son Milo just runs away at the mere sight of a tissue. And since both my wife Kathleen and I are busy chasing one little nose or the other, we rarely get time to wipe our own.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Today ...

Hello Everyone.

Today, Friday September 26, at 11:16 a.m., my daughter Neva was exactly 4-years-old. Four years ... 1461 days ... a little over 35,000 hours or 126,230,400 seconds give or take a few. Amazing huh?

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Clipping Chaos and Other Ordinary Things ...

Hello Everyone.

A few weeks ago I was writing how I was troubled about having to write something exciting or funny. I received some wonderful encouragement from quite a few readers and I believe I have overcome that fear of the ordinary ...

Earlier today my 4-year-old daughter Neva and I went to get my haircut. Now, I have been going to the same fella for close to 20 years and he is quite fond of both my children, having met both of them soon after birth. Now ordinarily, before Rob gets started, he usually will chase Neva with the hairdryer, spray her with his water bottle, toss a towel or two at her and relentlessly tease her.

This is how it is when I get my hair cut. Ordinary? Perhaps not from and outsider's point of view, but certainly it is for me. Well, ordinary with the exception that today, as I sat in Rob's chair, Neva spent the better part of my haircut standing on my legs pretending to be a cheerleader.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Hot, Hot, Hot ...

Hello Everyone.

My 16-month-old son Milo is beginning to understand us when we talk to him. He has learned that when something is "hawww" that he best not touch it. He has never gone near the stove or the BBQ and he blows on his food before he eats it.

Lately I have been tempted to tell him that other things are hot. Like all the books on my bookshelf and the toilet paper and those button on the front of the computer. But most importantly it's the TV remote, now that's red hot!

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Gone to the Dogs ...

Hello Everyone.

Our neighbors down the street had invited us for dinner and being a family of four we were customarily late. In fact their kids came to get us since they had been wondering what was taking us so long.

When we finally got there my 16-month-old son Milo discovered they had a dog. He instantly befriended Chloe and for the rest of the evening he followed this poor dog everywhere. Down from the porch, around the yard and back up again, over the deck, into the house and back outside.

Chloe needed a break and into the kitchen she went with Milo close behind. No one was paying any attention to either one. Chloe just drank from her water bowl with Milo mesmerized at her side. My wife Kathleen eventually made her way into the kitchen to investigate Milo's whereabouts. She found him lying on his tummy, there at the edge of the kitchen, drinking from the dog bowl.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

School Daze ...

Hello Everyone.

My 4-year-old daughter Neva started Junior Kindergarten two weeks ago. The first few days were a little rough but I think we have the hang of it now. Though Neva often gets sidetracked with something or another, we still manage to get her to dress herself, put some food in her belly, find her school stuff and get there before the doors close.

Having to keep an exacting schedule has been quite the change for all of us. My wife Kathleen and I both work out of the home so routine in our household is about achieving flexibility without going crazy.

I was thinking that I was handling and accepting all this change but then, just before I sat down to this story, I caught myself trying to count the days that we'll be getting up to send our kids to school. It's been 9 days so far ...

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Peter Piper ...

Hello Everyone.

My 16-month-old son Milo likes to help me in the vegetable garden much like his sister Neva, who'll be 4 next week. She was rather helpful all summer since she has begun to understand the point to growing vegetables; not that she eats most of them. Milo, on the other hand, has a great appetite for veggies but his gardening skills need some work.

I was puttering around yesterday tending to the onions while Milo busily wandered around. He rambled into the pepper plants that are as tall as he is. He disappeared in between the bushes and suddenly one plant began to move vigorously. A moment later, out comes Milo holding a sweet pepper, red as they come. He looked at it, took a bite and tossed it onto the ground as he turned to go back into the pepper plants.

When all was said and done, Milo had picked 5 peppers, bitten two of them, and deposited them all over the place in the same not-so-gentle manner.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

AH-CHOO!

Hello Everyone.

It didn't take long. Not even a week after my 4-year-old daughter Neva started school we all have colds. Except Neva.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

All Washed Up ...

Hello Everyone.

It's interesting the things toddlers like to imitate. My 15-month-old son Milo has learned to wash his hair. Whether he's in the bathtub or at the sink, he grab's the soap and rubs his slippery hands over his head.

The problem is he hasn't figured out what to use for soap if he isn't near the tub. So if you see Milo with sticky, gummy hair, just remember he's been washing it all by himself. With banana, peaches, cream cheese, yogurt, spaghetti sauce ...

Happy sweeping,

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

"Hello! C'mon in" ...

Hello Everyone.

She hardly ate anything yesterday and even forewent her usual bedtime snack. Even though my soon-to-be 4-year-old daughter Neva fell asleep without too much trouble, she did spend the entire night tossing and turning.

This morning, the bundle of boundless energy that often greets us had been replaced by a somber and unenthusiastic grunt. Dragging her out of bed in time was challenging enough but we had to make sure that she didn't fall face first into her cereal.

Having finally gotten her dressed, I carried her the entire way just so we wouldn't be late. Somehow this was not how we imagined her first day of school. My wife Kathleen and I were quite excited yet anxious ourselves, but Neva's enthusiasm had evaporated. Understandably, she was nervous, even scared. But never had we seen her this afraid.

As we waited for her teacher to open the door to let in this year's junior kindergarten class, I could see the stress on all of our faces. Slowly, the door opened, and we were all greeted with a cheerful "Hello! C'mon in". Slowly at first Neva went towards the door but upon seeing her friend Lynton, the little girl from down the street, Neva was suddenly transformed.

Gone was the sluggish walk, the cranky voice, the weight of unimaginable misery. She didn't even say good-bye ...

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Changes ...

Hello Everyone.

I'm pretty sure that when I put him to bed last night he was still a baby. But when I looked over at my 15-month-old son Milo this morning, for whatever reason, it struck me how all of a sudden he looks like a boy. He doesn't look like a baby anymore and it seems to have happened overnight.

At first I couldn't explain how his face had changed, all I knew is that it seemed different. I gazed at him for quite some time carefully looking at his features but I came away with no clue as to what had changed.

I questioned most of our neighbors this afternoon how they saw him. "Does he look like a baby or a boy to you?" I asked. And they all answered the same; he looks like a little boy. Which now leaves me wondering whether lately I just haven't been looking closely enough.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Me Neither ...

Hello Everyone.

Have you ever watched your children fall sleep? I mean after all the fussing and complaints have subsided and the repeated trips to the bathroom are finally over and done with. And after refilling the drip proof cup for the umpteenth time and remaking the bed and chasing them down the hallway six times and picking yourself up off the floor after you tripped over who-knows-what because you turned off all the lights an hour ago.

... have you ever fallen asleep watching your children?

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Ordinary ...

Hello Everyone.

Regular readers may have noticed that there hasn't been a newsletter in the past three weeks. I do apologize for the extended absence as we stretched our family holiday from one week to almost three. I had become disillusioned with the stories I write about my children.

They are meant to be a journal of my experiences as a parent, as a stay-at-home/work-at-home dad, as a father. They were meant to chronicle my thoughts and interpretations of the everyday but somehow over the spring and early summer they became a burden. I felt I had to write about something novel, something interesting, something funny.

My wife Kathleen was attending an out-of-town seminar and she took our 15-month-old son Milo with her. I spent 4 days with my soon-to-be 4-year-old daughter Neva. We played together. We watched movies. I read her stories and told her tales. We went for walks and visited neighbors. We did chores, went out to eat and fell asleep together.

It was nothing, nothing out of the ordinary.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Holidays ...

Hello Everyone.

Just a quick reminder that we are taking next week off. The newsletter will return with all new stories on August 18.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Top 5 List ...

Hello Everyone.

I thought it time to do another top 5 list so here it is:

The Top 5 Things You Never Thought You'd Say to a Toddler.

"Careful Milo, you're going to fall off the dining room table."

"Please take the flowers out of your mouth."

"Milo, eat the other end of the banana."

"In our house, we don't climb the shelves in the refrigerator."

"Milo, please don't stir the fish in the bowl on the piano."

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

The Sky is Falling ...

Hello Everyone.

As is fitting for this newsletter over the past number of weeks we have had yet another challenging day. This time, after all the recent rain, our kitchen ceiling called it quits and decided to retire into the floor. During its decent, it greeted all of our appliances with a thundering hello. It scared the fuzz from my daughter Neva's socks but 14-month old Milo, asleep in the next room, luckily slept through the whole adventure.

To let everyone know, we are taking a planned holiday next week so there won't be a newsletter until August 18. Now if only we can be assured that Milo stays healthy, Neva keeps calm and both Kathleen and I remain sane ...

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

On the Mend ...

Hello Everyone.

Well, it's been a tough week around our household. Our 13-month old son Milo was not only cutting molars but also got an ear infection to boot. Needless to say, we had little sleep for three long nights. Which explains the absence of the newsletter.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Shaken, Not Stirred ...

Hello Everyone.

He dragged a chair over to the piano and used it to climb onto the bench. He then he climbed over the keys and up to the top of our piano.

It was the odd music emanating from the living room that caught my attention. And when I went to check what was going on, there was my 13-month old son Milo stirring the gravel in the gold fish bowl.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Can Anyone Hear Me?

Hello Everyone.

My 13-month-old son Milo was happily sitting in his high chair eating a snack the other day when I left the room to speak to my husband Bob in his office. Milo was chatting and yammering as he always does.

Shortly, we could hear he was getting louder and louder, almost as if he was calling someone, and the "calling" didn't stop.

I went back into the living room to see what he wanted and there he was yelling ... with both hands over his ears!

Happy sweeping,

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Ewww Gross!

Hello Everyone.

They have a frightful appearance, recklessly race about and if you get close enough, they're rather foul smelling. The forceps on their rear end can be painful when used and though not much more than 1/2 inch in length they certainly are not the type of insect one can easily ignore despite their diminutive size.

If you are already squirming in your chair you must be an adult, since earwigs cause many of us to cringe. Now, my 3 3/4-year-old daughter Neva recently met her first earwig under rather unusual circumstances.

For those of you already too squeamish, you may want to skip this part. The earwig you see, somehow found its way deep into Neva's ear. Perhaps it was Neva's screaming for 20 minutes that caused the earwig to pinch her eardrum. In any event, it came, it explored, it bit her, and it left the same way it came.

After all that and the trip to the doctor's office, you would think that Neva would be terrified to even go outside. As I said before, most adults get a little queasy at the mere mention of them and I expected Neva, after her experience, to be terrified. But she wasn't and isn't. In fact, it is her latest must-tell story and with each telling, I am left feeling a little weaker in the knees.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Every Minute Counts ...

Hello Everyone.

This past weekend the big downtown park hosted another of our city's big summer festivals. While walking through the park visiting the craft booths, my daughter Neva was her usual friendly self talking to the vendors.

"I'm 3 and 3 quarters!" she proudly told one woman.

"Wow, you're even keeping count. That's great," she replied.

"Ya," Neva continued, "I'm 1...2...3... and a little bit of 4."

Happy sweeping,

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Peek-a-Boo ...

Hello Everyone.

The sun had already set as I came in from puttering around in the garden. My wife Kathleen had taken our 3 3/4-year-old daughter Neva and 1-year-old son Milo to bed a good 45 minutes earlier.

It was quiet in the house, not unusual for that time of night. After all, Kathleen often falls asleep with them when she put both kids down. So, I washed up and made my way to my office to do some work.

I sat down and was about to pull my chair closer to my desk when I caught a glimpse of two tiny feet where mine were to go. I bent down and to my surprise there was Milo sitting quietly under my desk, a huge smile on his face.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Getting Nosey ...

Hello Everyone.

My daughter Neva, who proudly tells everyone that she is now 3 & 3/4 years old is at that stage where her self awarness has been internalized. Literally.

The other evening I overheard Neva and her mother naming the bones in her body. They had covered all the major bones in her body when Neva asked my wife what the bone in her nose was called.

"It's your septum," Kathleen answered as Neva shoved her finger up her nose. "I can feel it Mommy," she said. Pulling her finger out of her nose she promptly stuck it in her mouth. And with that Neva annouced, "I'm so hungry I could eat a WHOLE NOSE!"

Happy sweeping,

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Unexpected Absence ...

Hello Everyone.

We took an unexpected holiday to attend to some personal matters but the ContestHound.com Daily Contest Update is now back. I apologize for our unexpected absence.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Stay Tuned ...

Hello Everyone.

"Neva," I asked my 3 1/2-year-old daughter, "would you like an olive cheese sandwich for dinner?"

"No. I had one before this day when you were at work."

"Yesterday?"

"Yah."

"So you don't want one tonight?"

"No ... (pause) ... I know what I want!!" she adds excitedly.

"What's that?"

"An olive cheese sandwich."

Perhaps next time I'll be sure to turn the television off before I ask.

Happy sweeping,

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Mad Artist?

Hello Everyone.

My 3 1/2-year-old daughter has proclaimed that she wants to be an artist when she grows up. Knowing this, a friend brought over a kid's craft set with paints, crayons, markers, colored pencils and pastels. Neva was so thrilled with the gift that she set straight away to painting. Two days later those once brightly colored discs of watercolors were now dingy black-brown chips and her paint brush had but 3 little bristels left.

I guess she's found her medium!

Happy sweeping,

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

For the Birds ...

Hello Everyone.

The other day as we were outside doing odd jobs in the garden, my 3 1/3-year-old daughter Neva announced to me that she had a new friend. Looking around, I was hard pressed to see anyone besides the two of us but I played along nevertheless.

As it turned out, Neva had found a garden snail, about the size of a 25-cent piece, whom she named Smokey Arthur Stripes. I explained to Neva that the snail needed to have food and shelter to survive. Having finally convinced her that snails don't eat cookies and really wouldn't like to live in the house with us, Neva found a suitable home.

It's dark and cool inside, has good airflow, and with the addition of some vegetable leaves and a few pieces of paper, Stripes the snail is now living a life of luxury in the bird feeder.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

House Pets ...

Hello Everyone.

My daughter Neva was watching television one morning when a new show called Dumb Bunnies came on. I had never heard of it before but was certain, with such a title, it wasn't appropriate for my 3 1/2-year-old who still didn't have the "D" word in her vocabulary. So I picked up the remote control to change the channel.

"No, Mommy!" came the protest. "I want this one!"

"I will find something else, Neva, but you're not watching 'Dumb Bunnies'." I said, hoping she wouldn't learn the word as I used it.

"No! I want to watch the Dust Bunnies!"

Hmm... come to think of it, I'm not sure I'm happy she's learned that term either.

Happy sweeping,

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

To The Rescue ...

Hello Everyone.

Last week I finally went to the doctor's office with the cold that had made me not only tired but downright miserable. My 3 1/2-year-old daughter Neva accompanied me and she sat quietly as I described my symptoms in vivid detail to the doctor.

I launched into some sort of filibuster about how my sinuses ached and my throat hurt. There was something about how productive my seemingly endless cough was and how I was convinced I had an infection since every tissue took on a green hue after I used it.

Today, I was once again complaining about the remnants of my cold to my wife Kathleen who by now had heard the same sob story for close to two weeks. Her sympathy waning, I was thrilled when Neva came to my defense.

"Daddy's not feeling well, he's got the greens."

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Um, well, ahhh ... Hmmm ...

Hello Everyone.

The four of us were out for an afternoon walk the other day, when my naturally inquisitive 3 1/2-year-old daughter Neva asked to be lifted up to pick a leaf off a tree.

"What kind of leaf is this, Mamma?" she asked.

"That's a maple leaf," I said.

She admired it for a moment and then, turning to Bob, she exclaimed: "Look, Daddy! I got a maple leaf from the maple tree!" As if her mind hit a speed bump, she again paused, looking back at the tree, then at Bob and back to the tree again.

And with that she asked one of those unanswerable questions that really stump parents: "Where are the maples?"

Happy sweeping,

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Got Gas?

Hello Everyone.

We were out for a walk the other day, my 3 1/2-year-old daughter Neva happily riding her bike. We passed the gas station where she, with my husband Bob, put air in her flat tire a month ago.

"We'd better go in here, Mommy," she told me. My tire's almost out of gas."

Happy sweeping,

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Another Day, Another Sniffle ...

Hello Everyone.

Maybe by tomorrow I can get back to writting new stories. In the meantime, as I get another tissue for my now, here is a story from a little while ago.

A large part of being a parent involves the giving of guidance and direction to our children. Most conversations with a three-year-old have clear cut yes and no answers. No, you can't have chocolate for breakfast or yes, you have to wear your rubber boots because it's raining. There are times though when my three-year-old daughter just baffles me with her answers to seemingly innocuous questions.

A few days ago, at her usual bath time, I asked Neva if she wanted me to wash her hair. "Later" she said. "How much later?" I asked. "When I'm 4," was her response. I felt the crest of that wave fast approaching and all I could muster was, "We'll see..."

Today she asks: "When my fish dies, can we get a dog?" Isn't that a bit like trading in a Chevy for a Rolls Royce, I thought? "We'll see," I said.

Maybe the phrase "We'll see" is a parental safety net that keeps us from falling into conversational oblivion. I find myself using it with more and more regularity. Is my three-year-old really asking questions that I cannot answer or have I just become afraid of saying "no"?

Originally published November 15, 2002.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

We're Still All Sick ...

Hello Everyone.

I apologize that the creative juices haven't been flowing. My nose continues to however ... We'll be back on Monday with all new stories. Here is one from a little while ago.

My three-year-old daughter Neva is at the stage where she questions why things are the way they are. I try to give her answers that are clear enough to be understood and for the most part accurate. The sun has moved below the horizon and that's why it's dark outside.

Formed somewhere deep in her mind, nothing could have prepared me for the question she asked me earlier today. As soon as she asked my brain froze. Not a word came out of my mouth. Speechless as I was, the real problem was that I had absolutely no idea on how to respond. None what so ever.

"Why don't dogs wipe their bum?"

Originally published December 4, 2002.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

We're All Sick ...

Hello Everyone.

When it comes to colds, our kids share. We'll be back with a new story in the next day or so when we are a little less sniffly.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Precious ...

Hello Everyone.

Putting my 3 1/2-year-old daughter Neva to bed the other night, I lay beside her talking about all she had done during the day. As we chatted, I was overwhelmed with how beautiful this little creature was. I looked at her blond curls that fell softly over her ears. I looked at her cheeks, flushed slightly from a day in the sun. I looked at her sweet little mouth and red lips that were telling me every important detail of the day. I looked into her beautiful blue eyes that watched me so intently.

And there she paused, asking, "Why are you wiggling your eyes around like that?"

Happy sweeping,

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Genius ...

Hello Everyone.

My daughter Neva was wearing one of her favourite shirts, the turquoise one with the lightbulb on the back and "genius" printed on the front. Being a typical 3 1/2-year-old, she insisted on dressing herself this morning.

Later in the day, as she rode ahead of us on her bike, I asked my husband Bob, "Do you think Genius up there realizes she's got her shirt on backwards?"

Happy sweeping,

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Can You Hear Me Now?

Hello Everyone.

If you happen to be walking by and you say "Hello" to my 11-month-old son Milo he'll probably put his hand to his head. He's not showing you that he has an earache, he's just talking to you on the phone.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

To Catch a Thief ...

Hello Everyone.

He waddles casually up to the couch. I know what he's after, it's not the first time. He looks around to see if the coast is clear and grabs for it. Little does he know that I have watched his every move. "Milo," I ask, "what are you doing?"

And off he runs as fast as his 11-month-old legs can carry him, TV remote in hand, a mischevious sparkle in his eyes.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Food for Thought ...

Hello Everyone.

How is it that, when I feed my 11-month-old son Milo a few pieces of food at a time, I remove him from his high chair and find twice as much as I fed him?

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Splinters ...

Hello Everyone.

I had taken upon myself the onerous and unpleasant task of removing a sliver from my 3 1/2-year-old daughter Neva's foot the other day. To that end, I promised her a treat afterwards for being brave and sitting still while I did it -- just as my mother had always promised when I was a child.

"There's a box of Smarties with your name on it in the kitchen," I assured her, thankful for having stashed away some of that Halloween candy.

After bravely enduring what I imagined to be torture, she got her reward. But as she turned the box over and over in her hand she asked, "Where's my name?"

Happy sweeping,

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Ticker Tape Parade ...

Hello Everyone.

It would seem my 3 1/2-year-old daughter is into excess these days. Yesterday I wrote how Neva all but emptied a bottle of shampoo into the bath water so she could have bubbles.

Today I walked into the dining room just in time to see the empty spool from the paper calculator tape roll out across the floor. The paper lay in a luxurious, billowing pile on the table as Neva, with great delight, busily cut and colored.

Happy sweeping,

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Bubble, Bubble, Girl in Trouble ...

Hello Everyone.

I was running the water for Neva's bath and before she got in, I left her in the bathroom while I finished getting the baby ready for bed. When I returned to the bathroom a minute or two later, not only had she climbed in but there were bubbles in the tub.

"Um," I began, "where did you get the ..."

Sitting on the edge of the tub next to my very guilty looking 3 1/2 year old daugher was my brand new bottle of shampoo, now three-quarters empty.

Happy sweeping,

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Ready to Go ...

Hello Everyone.

Being prepared is always a good idea and having spent 20 minutes planning and packing should insure that nothing is forgotten. She had filled the knapsack with a change of clothes, a few books, some toys for the baby and a couple of extra big girl toys. Slipping her arms through the straps she announced she was ready to go.

Of course, most plans tend to overlook something and in this case it was the overall purpose of packing. You see, we were going out to a local furniture and electronics warehouse 10 minutes from home.

But for my 3 1/2-year-old daughter Neva, it was important to take along a survival kit. Which, by the way, was immediately dropped at the store's front door as Neva kicked off her shoes, climbed into the display bed in the front window and hid under the covers.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Little Thief ...

Hello Everyone.

It seems that my 11-month-old son Milo has figured out not only that his 3 1/2-year-old sister Neva keeps her crafts on the dining room table, but also that to get to them all he needs to do is pull at the table cloth.

When I caught him chewing on Neva's scissors this afternoon, I was perplexed as to how he got them. But later in the day, I found him carrying the open jar of glue through the dining room. I was certain that the glue had been on the craft table and glancing at it, the table cloth was so off kilter I knew what he had done. I then discovered what else he had learned. When he heard me questioning him about his new found possession, he ran away!

Happy sweeping,

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Hiding Spot ...

Hello Everyone.

Just a short observation: When I play Hide 'n Seek with my 3 1/2-year-old daughter Neva, she doesn't hide very well. In fact, she hardly hides at all. But she seems to think she does. I can tell by the wonderful look of anticipation on her face as she peaks out from under her arms while I move ever closer to her hiding spot.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Another Collection ...

Hello Everyone.

Around our house, we use a variety of wicker baskets to store things in. From small stuffed toys to Lego there is a designated bin. Of course, having a baby and a pre-schooler around doesn't lead to a particularly organized home, but eventually things find their way back to their wicker home.

I found one of those baskets this morning that had been cleared of its original contents and replaced with an assortment of goodies. It could only have been my 3 1/2-year-old daughter Neva, who has recently been collecting a wide array of found objects that she calls treasures.

Along with the 100-year-old chunk of concrete were 2 snail shells, a tattered piece of wrapping paper, a 5-inch stick, a small square of weathered cardboard, 2 stones, one dandelion, one weed with roots intact and an assortment of crumbled leaves.

I take real pleasure in perusing Neva's collection of things. Though I can't explain why, I find it fascinating.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

A Little Unbearable ...

Hello Everyone.

I was working in my office the other day, concentrating on the task at hand, when out of the corner of my eye I thought I say Winnie the Pooh. This can happen when one works in front of a computer all day long and so I thought nothing of it. But then it moved.

I turned toward the wobbly little fella and it turned out not to be an aberration but rather my 11-month-old son Milo. He was wearing a red and tan outfit with a hood that had two small ears on top.

"Is this a Halloween costume?" I called out to my wife Kathleen. "No," she replied sounding annoyed. It was late afternoon and I knew it wasn't bedtime. "They're not pajamas are they?" I asked innocently. "No!" she said.

It seemed a small on him, a bit short in the legs. The hood came down over his forehead stopping above his eyes but it pulled his chin toward his chest. I thought it best not to share that the get-up looked ridiculous.

But as he waddled out the other door, I thought about how costly his therapy is going to be.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Foresight ...

Hello Everyone.

After Thursday's story of how my 3 1/2-year-old daughter Neva managed to gobble up loads of jellybeans just before bed, I thought it might be high time for another top ten list of how a lack of foresight on my behalf played out in the long run.

So, without further ado, here it is, my Top Ten List of Recent Mishaps:

- If you have to mail it, don't let your 10-month-old son Milo play with it.

- Training wheels on a 3 1/2-year-old's bicycle won't stop her from falling off.

- Speaking of falling, even though a baby hasn't far to fall, if he doesn't use his hands to land, he will scrape his nose on the sidewalk.

- Gardening immediately after a rain involves mud.

- Yogurt and a spoon, if left in the hands of a baby, is not an advisable way to redecorate the living room furniture.

- Paper back books are easily eaten, as are playdoh, stones, markers, crayons, socks, shoes ...

- Half full boxes of cereal left in the hands of a baby, makes for a crunchy floor.

- Neva's collection of garden snails may at first fit in her hands, but they will begin to crawl up her arm.

- Teaching a baby to play the harmonica is pointless.

And finally,

- videotapes used to make a walkway do not support the weight of a child.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Oh Sugar!

Hello Everyone.

I can't believe I am about to compare my 3 1/2-year-old daughter Neva to a dog. You know the puppy that wanders into the kitchen and finds a freshly baked apple pie on the window ledge. Well, Neva is not a dog and the apple pie is in fact jelly beans but the differences stop there.

Similar to her canine counterpart, Neva stole quietly into the kitchen and made off with an unknown number of jelly beans. I found her sometime after sitting very quietly in the corner of the living room gobbling away.

An hour has passed since I found her and right now any suggestions on how to detox a sugar-laden child would be really, really useful ... it's her bed-time.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Smile!

Hello Everyone.

Sometimes we are as much amused by the questions of pre-schoolers as we are perplexed by them. What must be going on in their little heads, we wonder.

Consider the other night, for instance, as I was putting my 3 1/2-year-old daughter Neva to bed. She was snuggled under the covers, talking quietly to herself as I sat on the end of her bed, when it suddenly came to her. She sat right up and asked, "Mommy do smiles go up or down?"

Happy sweeping,

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

To Eat or Not To Eat ...

Hello Everyone.

Let me tell you the little guy is taking after Daddy. My 11-month-old son Milo loves to eat, so much so that he'll follow us around if we are carrying something he thinks might be worthwhile eating. Today, he shadowed my wife Kathleen into the kitchen and when she opened the door to the refrigerator, he promptly climbed in.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

The Hand That Feeds You ...

Hello Everyone.

I was preparing supper in the kitchen when he walked in, a wooden puzzle piece in each hand. My 11-month-old son Milo was happy enough chewing on his possessions, however he was clearly indicating his desire for something more tasty and satisfying. Wanting to keep going with supper, I offered him a breadstick to tie him over.

He looked at the breadstick and at the two puzzle pieces. Slowly he transferred a piece from one hand to the other, carefully gripping them both in one hand. He was then free to accept my offering.

"What a clever boy!" I thought to myself.

Happy as a lark, Milo walked off, breadstick in hand chewing on his puzzle pieces!

Happy sweeping,

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Storyless ...

Hello Everyone.

From time to time I find myself pressed for time and thus storyless. Today would be one of those days. I'll be back with a new story tomorrow and in the meantime, why click and enter to you hearts content.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Break 'n Enter ...

Hello Everyone.

The film started with a long pan of a picturesque landscape in medieval England. The rolling hills marked by stone fences, where ripe with crops and grasses. It was an idyllic scene that is sure to attract dreamers of any age and especially my 3 1/2-year-old daughter Neva.

"I want to go there..." she remarked with enthusiasm pointing to the television. "When we break in there, that's where I want to go."

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Do Bunnies Lay Eggs?

Hello Everyone.

Yesterday we had our annual Easter egg hunt. It was a struggle to get my 3 1/2-year-old daughter Neva to finish her cherished peaches for breakfast, she was so anxious to get started. Of course, having already eaten the ears off her solid chocolate Easter bunny may also have played a part in that!

On our way out to the yard, Neva, bounding down the stairs, basket in hand, was precise about what role each of us was to play in the hunt.

"I'll be the picker. Mommy, you be the keeper. And Daddy, you are the finder."

"And what will Milo do," I asked about her 10-month-old brother.

"He can watch out for dinosaurs."

Happy sweeping,

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Prized Pocket ...

Hello Everyone.

Neva was very excited about her pocket full of "treasures". Having helped our neighbor Nancy clean up the perennial gardens that encircle our building, my 3 1/2-year-old daughter had accumulated a small collection of found objects and stored them in her coat pocket. She instructed that it was not to be washed.

The coat was covered in mud splatter, the bottoms of the sleeves stained an earthy brown. It needed to be washed. So, my wife Kathleen carefully removed the collection: one piece of twine, two snail shells and one blue bead.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

First Words ...

Hello Everyone.

If you have been a long time subscriber you may remember the excitement surrounding my now 3 1/2-year-old daughter's first word. For those of you who don't know or remember, she said "Quack".

A few days ago, my 10-month-old son Milo spoke his first true word and once again, we find ourselves overjoyed. My wife Kathleen and I have been repeating Milo's first word endlessly each time we speak to him, or each other, or the folks next door.

It may not be a measure of our parenting skills but when compared to Neva's first word, it is definitely more useful for everyday conversation. So, I leave the last word in today's story to Milo, who is already waving both hands:

"Ba-ba".

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Thinking Ahead ...

Hello Everyone.

"Remember Neva," I warned, "there will be a day when Milo will be able to say 'yes' and 'no' to tell you what he wants."

Our 3 1/2-year-old daughter had just taken a toy from her 10-month-old brother and though he did not protest, we wanted to explain that someday he likely will. "In fact," I continued, "he's more likely to say 'no' before he says 'yes'."

"And he might say 'no' alot," added my husband Bob.

"And then," finished Neva, "he'll be able to say, 'No, no, no! That's mine. Mine, mine, mine! I had it first. Mine. That's mine. I don't want you to take it. I had it first and it's mine. No, no, no, no, no!'"

Um, well, yes ... someday.

Happy sweeping,

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Television ...

Hello Everyone.

I knew my not-yet-literate 3 1/2-year-old daughter Neva was watching too much television the day the volume was off during Wheel of Fortune and she called out:

"Turn the volume on! It's the Mystery Round!"

Happy sweeping,

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Hey, Doodle Doodle, the Cat and the Poodle ...

Hello Everyone.

We were recently at a kid's birthday party where Mother Goose was a special visitor. She and her puppet Honker were telling nursery rhymes. In order to egg on the kids, Honker would say the wrong words: "Little Miss Muffet sat on her tuffet eating her cheeseburger."

When Mother Goose asked the children if anyone knew the right words, my 3 1/2-year-old daughter, jumping up and down for a chance, was happy to recite for us all:

"Little Miss Muffet sat on her tuffet
Eating her curls away!"

Happy sweeping,

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

He Ain't Heavy ...

Hello Everyone.

Neva loves her brother, really she does! Although you can often find my 3 1/2 year-old daughter yanking toys away from 10-month-old Milo, pushing him down from the breakfast table, defiantly shouting "No!" when he has one of her markers, or simply yelling louder than him because she can't hear her movie, she does have great affection for him.

Like when she tells him, "It's okay, Milo, we all do that," when he stubs his toe on the door. Or how she always wants to hold his hand, especially when they're in their car seats. Or when, just out of the blue, she gives him a little pat on the head or a kiss on the cheek.

We were in the kitchen getting breakfast ready. I had Neva asking for peaches and Milo pulling on my pants, whining for something else. I was not quite fully awake and had the attitude to match. In an exasperated tone, I told Milo he had to be patient and wait while I made his cereal.

Without a word, big sister Neva reached over to my stash of pacifiers (a.k.a. breadsticks) and gently offered Milo something to eat.

Happy sweeping,

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.comcom

Garden Guessing ...

Hello Everyone.

Editor's Note: Due to the ice storm that knocked out power, a large number of subscribers did not receive Friday's issue. As such, we are reprinting Friday's story.

My 3 1/2-year-old daughter Neva and I planted our vegetable transplants today and unlike last year, she didn't re-arrange all the markers that identify each variety.

Even though her hands are small it doesn't mean she is better able to get those tiny seeds into the plastic pots full of dirt. Trying to pick up a single seed and negotiate it into the appropriate place was difficult. Often checking her hand to make sure the seed was still there, she inadvertently would drop it, usually over another pot or somewhere on the ground.

So this years garden should be an interesting array of too much of one thing and too few of others. For instance, broccoli and cauliflower plants look extremely similar. Whether the plants that will soon be coming up are either one will only be determined sometime in mid-summer when the heads form. And since I always plant extra seed, I may end up with too many plum tomatoes and too few cherry tomatoes.

Nevertheless, Neva and I truly enjoyed working together, getting dirty and talking about how exciting the springtime is.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Mr. Who? ...

Hello Everyone.

The fella who owned our building up until last week is the only person I have ever met who would be appropriately referred to as crotchety. He makes no bones about it and confesses to being both grumpy and miserable. And though he may have shown kindness towards my 3 1/2-year-old daughter Neva his sourness was never far from the surface.

The new owners arrived a few days ago with a construction crew in tow and one of the contractors shares the same name as our old landlord. Neva and I of course took the first opportunity to snoop, I mean, introduce ourselves. A few minutes later, having returned to our apartment, I overheard Neva telling my wife Kathleen about our recent adventure.

"We saw Dennis downstairs," she said. "You did!" Kathleen responded, rather surprised to hear this. "A different Dennis, Mama, not Mr. Cranky Pants" Neva elaborated.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

For Peat's Sake ...

Hello Everyone.

My 9-month-old son Milo and I spent a good part of the day preparing countless plastic pots in which to plant my seeds for the summer vegetable garden.

I washed the pots and Milo watched. I moistened the growing mix then stuffed it into the pots. Milo watched. I arranged the pots neatly into the trays and Milo still watched. I cleaned myself up but I didn't watch.

And there was Milo soaking wet ... covered head to toe in growing mix ... spitting out bits of peat moss.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Belly (B)aching ...

Hello Everyone.

I made play-dough for my 3 1/2-year-old daughter Neva and she has been playing with it all day today. She has her plastic pots and pans, rolling pin and cookie cutters all out on the table and she's been making all sorts of delectable treats for us to eat.

At one point I saw her lying on her tummy on the floor. Then she lifted up halfway to look under her tummy, where lay a half-flattened blob of play-dough. When she lay down on it again, I asked what she was doing.

"Making pies!"

Now, I haven't made a pie since I was a kid, but I'm pretty sure that's not how my mother rolls out her dough!

Happy sweeping,

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

More Housekeeping ...

Hello Everyone.

Over the past few months some of you who subscribed to the
ContestHound.com Daily Contest Update or the ContestHound.com
Contests for Canadians have not been receiving your requested
newsletter. I have recently upgraded the delivery system and
these issues should now be resolved.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Tick Tock ... Tick Tock ...

Hello Everyone.

Editor's Note: Having written over 350 stories we thought we needed a little sabbatical. So, until the early March, we will be in re-runs. Please enjoy these previously published Neva tales from not so long ago.

Originally Published: February 20, 2002

As adults it seems we are constantly at war with time. We wear watches on our wrists and check them repeatedly in an attempt, perhaps, to justify our hurriedness. Alarms wake us in the morning and we say "Just a minute," and never return. While clichés about time bobble in our minds we keep our frenzied pace.

Neva, my two-year-old daughter has yet to understand the concept of time. For her, time is measured in only two ways: last night and 13 minutes. At bath time, I ask her when she washed her hair last and regardless if it was 10 minutes ago or last week, she answers "Last night, two times!"

And if I ever ask her what time it is, the answer is always 13 minutes. "When does your favorite television show start Neva?" I ask. "Thirteen minutes!" she'll say.

I wonder what would happen if I spent 13 minutes doing nothing, declaring a cease fire in my battle with time. Perhaps I would just sit and think about those funny things Neva did last night ... two times.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Just a Bit of Housekeeping ...

Hello Everyone.

Just a bit of housekeeping ...

Over the past month or so we have been having troubles with the delivery of this newsletter. If you are only sporadically getting you requested issue, we apologize for the inconsistency. By the end of March, we will have upgraded our delivery system and this should take care of the problems.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Daddy's Little Helper ...

Hello Everyone.

That little boy of mine is after my own heart and he doesn't even know it yet. I have been wanting to get a DVD Player for some time but considering we already have a decent VCR, my chance of getting my wife Kathleen to consider it a worthy purchase is far fetched.

But over the past week, my 9-month-old son Milo has repeatedly pushed the VCR out the back of the cabinet that houses it, sending it crashing to the floor. And each time, I responded with the same enthusiasm, I mean, stern whisper: "Now Milo, ta-ta."

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Diaper Ditty ...

Hello Everyone.

Okay, so maybe my fixation with the difficulty of diapering my 9-month-old son Milo might be getting a bit out of hand.

Today, while I was changing him, he was playing with a loose sock. As always, he was squirming like mad, and in doing so, managed to lose the sock. Seeing an opportunity to make a run for it, off he went crawling furiously, the sock trailing behind, tucked between the cheeks of his naked bum.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Vote of Confidence ...

Hello Everyone.

While shopping at the mall recently, my 3 1/2-year-old daughter Neva wanted to go into every clothing store. In one store more suited to teenaged girls than thirty-something mothers, Neva was particularly taken with a sleek, sparkly dress.

"You should buy this one, Mommy," my little fashion advisor suggested.

"Well, I don't know," I replied slowly, "I don't think it would look good on me."

"Yes it would. And we won't laugh at you!"

Happy sweeping,

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Physics 101 ...

Hello Everyone.

Now, I'm not one to brag about my kids ... but ... as the temperatures soared to way above freezing, my 3 ½-year-old daughter has come to fully understand the physics behind gravity.

Through her own experiments, Neva has discovered the consistency associated with gravity. When you jump up in a muddy puddle, for instance, you will come back down. You will also slip, lose your balance and fall right in.

If you jump into a larger puddle on a different day, in a different part of the yard, the same will happen. You will slip, lose your balance and fall right in.

Gravity even plays a role when climbing a melting snow bank surrounded by a wide ring of water drenched earth. Not only must you climb down, but you will slip, lose your balance and fall right in..

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.comPhysics 101 ...

Milestones Abound ...

Hello Everyone.

I think every parent cherishes those times his or her children do something for the first time. Whether it is the first born or subsequent editions, these milestones never lose their luster, each is as wonderful as the last.

With my 9-month-old son Milo beginning to walk last week it brought back the same excitement and enthusiasm as with my now 3 ½-year-old daughter Neva's first steps. And I started to think how for her, milestones are fewer and farther between, a trend that seems to continue right through adulthood.

But as I drove around the other day with my kids in tow, we stopped at our local art gallery and walked around the park-like grounds surrounding the building. In the middle of the lawn was a life sized sheet-metal sculpture that Neva was immediately drawn to. She circled around it, carried on a conversation with it, all the while trailing her hand over each riveted section. What surprised me was that Neva knew exactly that she was petting an aluminum rhinoceros. Now there's a first.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Cliches ...

Hello Everyone.

Cliches are lost on pre-schoolers. Our landlord, Dennis, is a gruff and grouchy old man, and full of them. My 3 1/2-year-old daughter Neva, however, likes him just the same and she'll talk his ear off anytime he is here.

A few weeks ago, Dennis was painting the trim around our front door. When Neva and I were leaving to do some errands, Neva didn't make it past the door without bumping into the fresh paint. Dennis offered to take her jacket and clean it with paint thinner telling her, "I'll get it clean quicker than you can spit."

Neva looked at him very puzzled, and asked "You're gonna spit on it, Dennis?"

Happy sweeping,

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Step by Step ...

Hello Everyone.

Our neighbor Mike is a boisterous prosecuting attorney in his early thirties with a commanding deep voice. His arms gesture wildly emphasizing each word when he speaks and his boundless energy and motivation are rarely tempered. And while we sat together yesterday, deep in discussion, my 3 ½-year-old daughter Neva and 9-month-old son Milo busied themselves nearby.

At the time, whatever it was we were deliberating seemed worthwhile but very soon, something much more meaningful was about to take place. Milo suddenly let go.

Without hesitation, he tottered forward as Kathleen and I stared in amazement. With slow and deliberate steps, Milo walked towards our friend, who, still wrapped up in the debate, took little notice. With his sixth and final step, Milo reached Mike's waiting arms. It was somewhere around that moment that Mike became aware of what was going, due in large part to our cheers and applause. Milo is walking!

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Literally Speaking ...

Hello Everyone.

Perhaps considering what I do for a living it is not surprising to find that my 3 1/2-year-old daughter Neva is already playing on the computer. Even without being able to read, Neva easily navigates web sites designed for kids. She does online coloring and plays matching games, moves puzzle pieces around and talks to the characters online. If left unchecked, she'll be there for hours.

Recently, Neva finished coloring a picture online when a voice asked her if she wanted to print her work. She did and, having helped her mother do it many times, fed a piece of paper into the printer. She was puzzled, though, when nothing happened. I heard my wife Kathleen explaining to her, in what seemed like a perfectly acceptable kid-friendly explanation, that she needed to tell the printer to do it first. So she did.

"Print!" she told it.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Defining Roles ...

Hello Everyone.

Now, before we begin, I want to make it abundantly clear that I have changed my fair share of diapers in my time as a father.

Diaper time with my 9-month-old son Milo involves a game where he races away at breakneck speed as soon as you remove his old diaper. This is followed by the ensuing struggle of holding him in one place long enough to wipe him, wrestle on a new one and finally get him buttoned up. It comes as no surprise, then, that when it's time to change his diaper, I'll do anything to get out of it.

So the other day, thinking that my 3 1/2-year-old daughter Neva might be excited at having the opportunity to change her baby brother's diaper, I proposed that she give it a try.

"Neva? Do you want to change Milo's diaper?"

"No!"

"How come?" I asked.

"I'm not a Mommy or Daddy!" came her reply.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Re-Introducing ...

Hello Everyone.

Meet Milo, my 9-month-old son.

Sporting the latest infant hairdo, blond hair haphazardly spotted with baby cereal, with matching spots on his clothing and face, Milo is the strong, silent type. Or he was until he discovered his voice.

His strong sense of determination bordering on stubbornness is easy to mistake for a headstrong lack of cooperation. But why shouldn't we enjoy the 10 minutes we spend outting him in a new diaper.

Yet as our patience may wane, Milo's is unending. He follows his sister everywhere copying her every move, much to her chagrin. And when Neva has had enough, he watches her carefully from afar. He is as talkative as she is and nearly as outgoing and looking at both their baby pictures, you'd be hard pressed to tell them apart.

But where Neva's exaggerated emotional displays rival William Shatner's, Milo is accepting of things the way they are. No muss, no fuss.

I hope it lasts.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Mommy's Little Helper ...

Hello Everyone.

Editor's Note: Having written over 350 stories we thought we needed a little sabbatical. So, until the early March, we will be in re-runs. Please enjoy these previously published Neva tales from not so long ago.

Originally Published: June 22, 2001

Toddlers love to help. They love to do things like Mommy and Daddy. Our 21-month-old daughter, Neva, is a no different and will proudly announce when she is helping. Typical of how Neva likes to help, as you heard in Wednesday's story, is when she cleaned the TV screen with a bar of Sunlight soap.

She will "help" dry the dishes and then throw them back in the sink full of water.

She "helps" Daddy clean the patio furniture by washing and rinsing it over and over with a cloth and the water from her pool.

She will "help" pick strawberries on the balcony and pop them straight into her mouth instead of into the bowl.

She'll "help" stir the muffin batter, not-so-carefully spooning it on to the counter and back into the measuring cups.

She "helps" me in the kitchen, getting a small dish for her snack, by happily pulling all the plastic ware out of the cupboard and throwing it on the floor until she's found just the right one.

She even, on her own initiative, got her broom and dust pan to clean up the dirt she had spilled from the plant she had been digging in. Then, again on her own initiative, and obviously pleased with my praising her good helping, dug more dirt out and spread it around the dining room so she'd have more to "help" sweep up.

Help or hinder? Doesn't matter. I'm guessing she won't be so eager when she turns ten. So for now, I'll just watch and smile knowing she knows she's Mommy's good helper.

Happy sweeping,

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Plywood Management ...

Hello Everyone.

Editor's Note: Having written over 350 stories we thought we needed a little sabbatical. So, until the early March, we will be in re-runs. Please enjoy these previously published Neva tales from not so long ago.

Originally Published: August 12, 2002

Over the weekend, I was charged with the task of moving some sheets of plywood from one location in the garage to another and then back again. It is not my general practice to take my plywood out for a walk, in fact, I firmly believe that anything that makes you grunt when you pick it up should really be left where it is.

Neva, my soon-to-be three-year-old daughter, is the helpful sort who raids my toolbox then runs off to who knows where to fix something that we don't own with precisely the tools I need to finally fix the what-cha-ma-call-it that at any moment we will no longer own as the removal of those extra parts has rendered it unfit to perform the duty it was originally intended to do. But I digress ...

The plywood had to be moved so I enlisted my wife Kathleen to help me lug it around. Of course, when carrying large objects, a safe work area means keeping young children out from underfoot and this proved to be an easy task. I elected Neva as Operations Manager, Plywood Guidance and Placement, and we were ready to begin.

Off she went to survey the wood and then the empty space it soon was to occupy. The review completed, Neva took the helm and began barking orders:

"Okay, c'mon, this way. Good job. Easy now, easy."

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Don't Ask ...

Hello Everyone.

Editor's Note: Having written over 350 stories we thought we needed a little sabbatical. So, until the early March, we will be in re-runs. Please enjoy these previously published Neva tales from not so long ago.

Originally Published: January 28, 2002

I sat and watched in bewildered amusement as my two-year-old daughter Neva ate her dinner last night. Having abandoned her fork, she was busily pushing around her peas and diced carrots, occasionally stuffing them into her mashed potatoes. We had been sitting at the table for over 10 minutes and only enough food to feed a sparrow had made it off her plate and into her mouth.

As Neva is a slow eater, this was nothing unusual and although I don't remember saying anything, I must have commented on her slow and cumbersome progress. Without the slightest bit of hesitation, Neva abruptly pulled up her shirt and promptly stuffed the lone pea she had been toying with into her belly button.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Tick Tock ... Tick Tock ...

Hello Everyone.

Editor's Note: Having written over 350 stories we thought we needed a little sabbatical. So, until the early March, we will be in re-runs. Please enjoy these previously published Neva tales from not so long ago.

Originally Published: February 20, 2002

As adults it seems we are constantly at war with time. We wear watches on our wrists and check them repeatedly in an attempt, perhaps, to justify our hurriedness. Alarms wake us in the morning and we say "Just a minute," and never return. While clichés about time bobble in our minds we keep our frenzied pace.

Neva, my two-year-old daughter has yet to understand the concept of time. For her, time is measured in only two ways: last night and 13 minutes. At bath time, I ask her when she washed her hair last and regardless if it was 10 minutes ago or last week, she answers "Last night, two times!"

And if I ever ask her what time it is, the answer is always 13 minutes. "When does your favorite television show start Neva?" I ask. "Thirteen minutes!" she'll say.

I wonder what would happen if I spent 13 minutes doing nothing, declaring a cease fire in my battle with time. Perhaps I would just sit and think about those funny things Neva did last night ... two times.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Life Goes On ...

Hello Everyone.

Editor's Note: Having written over 350 stories we thought we needed a little sabbatical. So, until the early March, we will be in re-runs. Please enjoy these previously published Neva tales from not so long ago.

Originally Published: June 14, 2002

Never mind that it is 9:30 at night and our 2 1/2-year-old daughter Neva has yet to have supper; she had some snacks earlier in the evening to tie her over. From the mountain of dirty clothes in the closet, pieces of laundry are escaping by their own free will and whatever is growing in the Tupperware container in the fridge will surely make a great science fair project someday. It takes time to adjust they say. Be patient, it will sort itself out.

Amid the chaos Neva comes to the realization that her stature within the hierarchy of our family has irreversibly changed. She is no longer the center of the universe but she is coping, certainly better than we are.

There is a long wheeze followed by a grunt coming from the science experiment as Mommy opens the fridge door. "What would you like for dinner?" she asks Neva as a sock runs by with a T-shirt close behind. "I like hot dogs now" she replies calmly, "I don't like worms."

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Moving Forward ...

Hello Everyone.

My apologies for the absence of the ContestHound.com Daily Contest Update over the past few weeks. I came down with an unexpected illness. Things are once again back to normal so on we go.

Editor's Note: Having written over 350 stories we thought we needed a little sabbatical. So, until the end of February, we will be in re-runs. Please enjoy these previously published Neva tales from not so long ago.

Originally Published: April 25, 2002

As soon as we got home with our 2 1/2-year-old daughter Neva's first tricycle, I hurried into the garage and put wooden blocks on the pedals. I knew instinctively that was the thing to do. I sensed I had entered into that exclusive realm of fatherhood, reserved solely for those of us with a hammer, nails and scraps of wood. I couldn't imagine feeling more satisfied, dare I say it, more proud.

I was prying the blocks from the pedals yesterday while I reflected on Neva's recent attempts at riding. Any efforts she made to move forward were met with such resistance that even the laws of physics would have a hard time explaining it. While I analyzed and speculated, hypothesized and contemplated, theorized and pondered, Neva spent the better part of three weeks going backwards ... in circles.

I knew in my heart the blocks of wood had to go. But my feelings of defeat soon eased to anticipation. As I carried the bright red tricycle to the front of the house I knew that Neva would soon be riding off on some great adventure.

She climbed aboard, hands reaching the handle bars. Her tiny feet clasping the newly freed pedals. She pushed with her legs and the tricycle obeyed. She inched forward. A little momentum, and off she went ... three glorious feet forward!

She stopped. She looked back at me. And with a triumphant smile, she pedaled backwards. For the next half an hour, I watched as Neva rode -- three feet forwards, three feet backwards, forwards, backwards, forward ...

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

In the Eye of the Beholder...

Hello Everyone.

Editor's Note: Having written over 350 stories we thought we needed a little sabbatical.
So, until the end of February, we will be in re-runs. Please enjoy these previously
published Neva tales from not so long ago.

Originally Published: November 20, 2001

There is road construction that started early this morning on our street
corner and my 2-year-old daughter was immediately fascinated with the big machinery. The sounds of the engines would bring Neva time and again to my second story office window. Each and every time she would tell me about the goings on and not once did she forget to mention the Ladybugs.

Ladybugs. I was perplexed. I looked over every inch of the window, along the frame, inside and out to no avail. It wasn't until this evening that I realized that the construction workers where all wearing bright orange vests. Ladybugs!

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

In My Dedication

Hello Everyone.

Editor's Note: Today's story was told by Neva, our three-year-old daughter, and typed out by Daddy.

In my dedication at school I paint and draw and I play and read stories and play dinosaurs yeah and even with Quinn. Quinn and me were playing roaring and with Maia. She's three. And then I was va-cu-ming and eaten the cake. That's all in my dedication.

Happy sweeping,

Neva Gunther

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Sorry All ...

Hello Everyone.

Sorry everyone for short changing you on a story. It's just been one of those days.

Happy sweeping,

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com